Opium Den
by Libby.not.a.slave.to.fashion
Summary: Lau viewed himself as a victim, a victim of the English men. He didn't even think about the fact that he was bringing opium to his people, helping along the process. He didn't even realize that he hated himself.


So yes, I was going through my computer files when I came across this, and I was all like, "Yeah! A new story and all I have to do is edit! WOOT!" so here it is..

* * *

The English...

They'd invaded China, and enslaved the people with their opium. Just thinking about them made Lau's blood boil. Opium was illegal in their own country! And they did it solely to open trade with the Chinese. But he was a traitor to his own kind. Participating in the trade of opium with the English. He felt like a dog. Always happily running to his master to make money while destroying the lives of all his country men. He himself was addicted. But he was happy to die by the terrible plague he brought upon his country men. Divine retribution.

What Lau wanted to know was how could the queen of England allow her citizens to sell opium to the Chinese if it was outlawed in her own country! She knew about it's side affects and how dangerous it was. How could she just let them do this to his comrades!

Or so Lau thought. But inside, he knew he was a hypocrite. He knew, but he had to make this money, he convinced himself. As long as the queen did nothing, he had the right to make a living off of it. He needed to live, what would the world do without Lau?

But he didn't want to admit to himself he was wrong.

When the Lord Phantomhive came walking down the steps and opened the door to his opium den, Lau was not in the least bit surprised.

"What an awful smell," the Earl muttered, covering his face with his arm, so as not to smell the opium smoke emitting from Lau's pipe.

"So you finally found this place, Earl," Lau said, separating the opium from his lungs for a moment as they approached. He let a large breath of opium smoke exit his open lips before continuing, "it feels kinda weird for you to see me this way," he referred to the five girls hanging off his body as he smoked. "However, I always knew the day would come." The Earl stared at him impassively.

"And what kind of day is this?" the Earl asked, angered.

"Welcome, Earl! Long time no see!" Lau said. He loved how one moment he could seem extremely cool and the next moment a complete fool. He thought it added depth to his character. "How have you been? Wasn't it your birthday recently? Congrats." His four extra girls left, leaving only Ranmao. Though he preferred it that way. He had an attachment to her.

"I don't really care about such things!" the Earl said, embarrassed about his age. Lau knew that he really did care. He didn't want to seem like such a child. "I have something to ask you."

"Ah, the Earl had to come all the way to Anagura to ask me about "that" incident, am I right?" Lau had no idea what he was talking about, but he always fooled everyone. It always helped to be a good bluffer in Lau's business.

"The news has spread to you already? You sure are fast," the Earl said. One of Lau's girls offered Sebastian some opium. He refused. Typical Sebastian. "I have been investigating "that" incident." Lau watched the smoke slowly drifting from the end of his pipe and swirling into many shapes behind his lashes. He almost forgot to pay attention to the Earl. "If it's about orientals, the fastest way to find anything out is asking you who has a strong influence around here. The president of the British branch of the Chinese trading company Kunlun. No, Shanghai Mafia, Qingbang executive, Lau." Lau thought the Earl just paid him a compliment, but he could never really be sure.

"Meh," Lau replied, "I don't like it when you address me that way. It's too formal, right Ranmao?" Lau said, turning to the girl on his lap. She was still high from the opium, spacing out and staring blankly pasted Lau. Lau wasn't sure if he liked her high or not. The opium was having a very negative affect on her. Even when she had gone a day without it, it still affected her. And she couldn't get enough. How ironic his job was killing everything and everyone he loved.

"I'll leave East End in your care." Lau took another breath of opium and let it screw his brains over more. "Quit smoking opium and listen!" The Earl muttered this, but Lau still heard it. "The number of people who move in and out of this street are in your control, right?" the Earl's pompous tone struck a nerve in Lau's ultra-opium-relaxed brain. He was building a resistance to the drug. This was not good.

"Of course I have done as you asked. It's the bribe that allows me to do business in the underworld of this country." Lau's lips turned up just a tinny bit more than normal.

"So," the Earl started, deadpan.

"Well firstly I want to ask you one thing," Lau said, his smile disappearing. He'd played this charade for long enough, going any further would be dangerous. "What exactly is "that" incident?"

"You! So we have to go back and explain from the start," the Earl said, enraged.

"Typical of a yes-man. Definitely," Sebastian said, not at all surprised. Lau hated Sebastian the most, his air of superiority. He was just a butler, yet he managed to make Lau feel even more inferior than he already did.

Ciel explained that many noble men who had recently returned from India were being stripped naked, and strung up side down, alive, with papers stuck to their chests. The papers said "Watch this, you wild, pathetic chosen children of sloth and depravity. England is the motherland of the devil. It steals everything and forces it's worthless, rotten, and decadent culture on you instead. To all the bitch-dominated idiots of this land, you are the ones that deserve the vengeance of Heaven. Now the day has come!" Personally, Lau thought this was completely just. He believed every word of it, though he would put it in better, more descriptive wording than these Indians. At the bottom of the page was a drawing of a tongue being stuck out. Lau had a feeling it wasn't a tongue, but he made a habit out of only telling the Earl what he asked for.

"I see," Lau said, after thinking it over for a moment. "So you want to arrest that mischievous kid. Since there are no casualties, it must be because he's targeted upper-class citizens or soldiers. Setting an example for the common people? It must be tiring for you, Earl," Lau said, antagonizing the Earl as much as he could.

"Nonsense," the Earl said, just the slightest bit tweaked.

"Never the less, we have walked for a long time now, so where is the stronghold of Indian people?" Sebastian asked.

"Eh? Ah, sorry I got lost in the conversation, so it seems that we are lost now," Lau knew exactly where they were, of course, but he wanted to see how they would deal being in the roughest part of East End. "Sorry to disappoint you," he said, smirking.

"Why you!" the Earl growled, much like the Queen's Guard Dog should sound like. The Earl turned and began walking the way they'd come. "Well, firstly we'll return to-" he said as he walked right into an intimidating Indian man dressed in rages. Lau's lips turned up even more.

He began to speak his apologies, but the man cut him off, screaming, "It hurts! My ribs cracked!" obviously, he was trying to scrounge money from the Earl. The situation was getting quite amusing.

"What?" the Earl gasped, as Sebastian shook his head and sighed.

"Someone come and help!" the man yelled, as two others ran up.

"Are you okay?" the first one asked, grabbing the injured man's arm.

"What's wrong? He is so cruel!" the second yelled, who had long curly black hair.

"Oh," said Lau, as more Indians surrounded them. This was getting dangerous.

"Showing up in a place like this, you're asking for it! That's quite a nice dress you've got there, young man," Lau couldn't help but snort as the Indian grabbed Ciel by the collar. "A noble, eh?" the Earl brushed the man's hands from his coat and looked on, unfazed. "Pay me consolation money!" the man demanded, "Strip off everything you have and give it to me!" the man's eyes were on fire as he screamed at the Earl.

"It seems we are caught amongst some irritating punks again, young master," said Sebastian, bemused. "Shall I...?" Sebastian continued, the air becoming menacing.

"Dispose of them right away," the Earl said, no emotion on his face.

"As you wish," Sebastian said, a condescending smirk on his lips.

"I'll tell you, all of us here despise noble men. They brought us all the way to England then just dumped us here like trash! All you British are selfish!" the injured man screamed, getting a chorus of "That's right!" from the crowd. That was the moment that Lau decided to let Sebastian and Ciel take care of the rest. It would do him no good to stay there and get into a fight with these terrifying men. Besides, if the Earl and Sebastian lost, Lau would have no quarrel with the Indians. He didn't particularly care for the Earl anyway. Lau relocated to the roof of a near-by building. He looked on with disinterest. He was secretly on the side of the Indians in this matter. He really hated these people who enslaved he and his people with opium, and the Indians with greed. He viewed himself as a victim, a victim of the English men. He didn't even think about the fact that he was bringing opium to his people, helping along the process. He didn't even realize that he hated himself.


End file.
